Courmayeur is great for a weekend away. It offers a compelling combination of charming village, fantastic views of Mont Blanc (known as Monte Bianco on the Italian side of the mountain), and diverse terrain, with a mix of easy cruising and challenging off piste.

The village has a lovely traffic-free centre of narrow cobbled streets, lined with well-preserved old buildings. These are home to bars, restaurants and smart shops, including delis filled with delicious-looking food, and designer clothes boutiques some of which are appointment-only at peak times, with doormen to stop celebrity spotters getting in. An Alpine museum and a statue commemorating a mountain rescue hero add to the historical feel of the village centre. As the lifts close, the pretty streets come to life with people taking an evening stroll.

Courmayeur’s eateries range from rustic huts up the mountain (the resort proudly boasts that it has “more mountain restaurants than ski lifts”) to gourmet restaurants in resort. Chiecco and Maison Vieille offer excellent slopeside fare, while Cadran Solaire, La Tarrazza and Piazetta in the village all dish up superior evening cuisine. There are plenty of great places for pre-dinner drinks, including Bar Roma, with its comfy sofas, Bar Privé, which whips up a range of cocktails, and Caffe della Posta, where free plates of food arrive with every round of drinks. Cheaper dining options include piste-side snack bars such as Courba Dzeleuna, and pizzerias in town such as Du Tunnel and Ancien Casino.

Courmayeur’s small ski area is largely comprised of red runs and is best suited to average intermediates. But there’s also some good off piste for experts to explore with a mountain guide, such as the Toula glacier down from Monte Bianco and the Vallée Blanche, which goes right down to Chamonix in France – you return by bus or taxi. There’s also superb heliskiing, which includes a fabulous long run down from the Ruitor glacier into France, from where you return by lift to Courmayeur’s neighbouring resort, La Thuile, and then take a taxi.

From both Courmayeur village and the slopes, the views of the Monte Bianco massif and its tumbling glaciers are simply breathtaking. Courmayeur’s slopes aren’t high (mostly between 1700m and 2250m)but some are north or north-west facing, so keep their snow well. There’s comprehensive snowmaking on most main runs, meaning good coverage in early and mid season is virtually assured. The slopes are also well groomed.

But… Relatively small local ski area and short runs; top section of the cable car up to Monte Bianco is shut this season while a new lift is being built; no challenging pistes; not good for beginners; no pistes back to the village, only to Dolonne (where you catch a bus); can be crowded at weekends. __________________________________________________________

Mürren is one of the most picturesque and unspoilt major resorts in the world. It has long been popular with British visitors, who are drawn by the charming, traffic-free village and thriving social scene – the British-run Kandahar Ski Club was founded in Mürren in 1924 and still has a lively clubhouse there – as well as the slopes. The local ski area is small but varied, with snowsure upper slopes and stunning views. The Jungfrau area lift pass also covers the much more extensive slopes of Wengen and Grindelwald, just over the other side of the Lauterbrunnen valley and accessed via train and cable car.

There are no roads up to Mürren. Instead it’s reached by a cable car from Lauterbrunnen in the valley, followed by a mountain railway ride, or via successive cable cars from a car park further up the Lauterbrunnen valley. When you get to Mürren, it’s like arriving in a world that’s remained largely unchanged for decades. The narrow, car-free, snow-covered lanes are set on a shelf high above the valley, with stunning views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks. Most of the village’s buildings are little wooden chalets, and there are a handful of bigger hotels. Mürren has a genuine winter wonderland feel that makes it a charming base for a holiday. There’s also a big sports centre with an outdoor ice rink offering incredible views.

It was in Mürren that the British more or less invented modern ski racing. Sir Arnold Lunn organised the first ever slalom race here in 1922. Some 12 years earlier, his father, Sir Henry, had persuaded the locals to open the railway in winter so that he could bring the first winter package tour to Mürren. Sir Arnold’s son, Peter, was a regular visitor right up until he died a couple of years ago, aged 97.

Mürren’s local ski area is small but varied. The lower slopes just above the village are tree lined, meaning good visibility even in bad weather, while the higher slopes of the Schilthorn, reaching just under 3000m, generally have very good snow coverage. The run underneath the top cable car up to the Schilthorn is very steep, and is the first part of a classic top-to-bottom run with wonderful views. Most of Mürren’s lifts are fast chairs and cable cars.

Wengen is reached by taking a train and cable car down to Lauterbrunnen, before hopping on another train up the other side of the valley. From there, you can explore the extensive intermediate slopes of Wengen and Grindelwald.

But… Small local ski area (53km of pistes); lower slopes can suffer from poor snow conditions; quiet, limited nightlife. __________________________________________________________

The Trois Vallées is the world’s largest linked ski area, and St Martin is a great base from which to explore it, offering an attractive village and better value for money than big-name neighbours Courchevel and Méribel. St Martin was a backwater farming village until the 1980s, when chairlifts were built to link it into the slopes of Méribel and Les Menuires. It remains a lived-in, unspoilt place with a small square and lovely 16th century church, which is prettily floodlit at night. The old village has been tastefully expanded with new buildings built of wood and stone in traditional Savoie style. It’s unbeatable as a quiet, inexpensive, attractive base for exploring the rest of the Trois Vallées.

From St Martin, a gondola followed by a fast chair whisk you up to Tougnète, from where you can head back into the Belleville valley and explore all the pistes of Les Menuires and Val Thorens, as well as St Martin’s local slopes. Alternatively, you can drop over the ridge to discover the extensive slopes of the Méribel valley. From there, you are just one gondola ride away from Courchevel.

With 600km of pistes and more than 170 lifts, the Trois Vallées is the largest linked ski area in the world, and ideal for mileage-hungry intermediates. Most of the pistes are easy cruising blues or more challenging red runs. Even the keenest piste basher will only be able to cover a small fraction of the available runs in a week. St Martin’s local slopes are pleasant blues and reds, and one of the Trois Vallées’ nicest and quietest red runs, Jerusalem, goes from the top of the Tougnète ridge down to the top of the gondola from St Martin.

Some of the best steep pistes in the ski area are located on the slopes of La Masse, accessed via Les Menuires. These red and black runs usually have excellent snow because of their north-facing orientation, and are served by a fast jumbo gondola. The Trois Vallées also offers remarkably good off piste to be explored with a guide.

For such a small village, there’s a surprisingly large choice of good restaurants, such as the Montagnard, Eterlou and Voûte. The Ferme de la Choumette and Ferme Auberge Chantacoucou are both working farms situated just outside the village, serving up tasty Savoyard dishes. At the top end of the price scale is La Bouitte, up the road in the hamlet of St Marcel – its goumet cuisine has earnt it two Michelin stars.

But… Not great for beginners; snow on runs back into St Martin can suffer from sun; some accommodation is a long distance from the lifts, and transport is needed; limited choice of après. __________________________________________________________

Les Gets is an attractive, small resort with a very French feel to it. Its extensive network of local slopes, shared with Morzine, is the biggest in the enormous Portes du Soleil ski area. The resort’s pretty village is made up of traditional, low-rise chalet-style buildings and has a small outdoor ice rink. Although not traffic-free, the busy main road bypasses the village centre and cars are not as intrusive in Les Gets as they are in many resorts. The pedestrian-friendly main street is a lovely place to stroll down, partly because of the appetising food and wine shops that line it, and partly because of the friendliness of the locals.

The large local network of pistes shared with Morzine is varied and easily accessed by gondola or fast chairlift from the nursery slopes beside the village. There are blue and red runs on the Morzine side that are great for cruising, including some lovely wooded runs. Advanced intermediates and experts can head to the Point de Nyon or Chamossière sectors for more challenging terrain.

Les Gets also has its own separate small area on Mont Chéry, which has some of the most challenging pistes in the area and is usually delightfully quiet. It can be reached by free buses or a road-train shuttle.

The whole Portes du Soleil area has 650km of pistes, most of which are ideal for intermediate cruising. Les Gets is not the ideal starting point if you intend to do the Portes du Soleil circuit (it can be travelled in either clockwise or anti-clockwise directions – when you get to Châtel you need to catch a bus to reach the next sector). However, it’s fine if you simply want to go and explore, for example, the steep Arare-Hauts Forts slopes above Avoriaz – these often have the best snow in the Portes du Soleil area because of their height and north-facing orientation.

From Les Gets, the rest of the Portes du Soleil slopes are reached by heading to Morzine and taking the free road-train shuttle to a gondola that links with the runs above Avoriaz. The area is well furnished with good mountain restaurants. Chez Nannon between the Nyon and Chamossière sectors is a rustic hut that’s cosy inside in bad weather, but also has a splendid terrace for sunny days. It serves excellent Savoyard food – their patates au reblochon is a cut above your standard tartiflette. The nearby Pointe de Nyon is spacious, and serves excellent duck and ribs. Other places worth visiting include La Paika (rustic, wood-fired grills, serious wine list), good-value La Rosta and Lhottys, which offers tasty soup.

But… Quite a long way to and from the main Portes du Soleil circuit; modest altitude means there’s a risk of poor snow; some slow, old chairlifts; crowded at weekends. __________________________________________________________

This pretty village has long been a favourite with British visitors, many of whom have been coming here for generations. They’re attracted by the picturesque setting and the small, family-friendly ski area. Alpbach is what you’d imagine a picturesque Austrian mountain village to look like – it’s exceptionally pretty, with traditional wooden chalets set around a charming church, and the nursery slopes are conveniently located in the heart of the village. It’s also great value for money – prices are low, even by Austrian standards.

Alpbach’s main slopes are a shuttle-bus ride away. The local ski area isn’t huge, but last season it was linked to Auffach in the neighbouring Wildschönau valley by a new gondola. This has more than doubled the size of the ski area if you include Niederau just down the valley from Auffach, linked by bus and also covered by the lift pass.

The pistes are mainly beginner and intermediate-friendly, with the main interest for experts being off piste. The local slopes are accessed by a choice of two gondolas from the valley floor which take you to open, north-facing slopes above the tree line, served by drags and chairs. These upper slopes have mainly short runs with descents of around 200m to 400m vertical, but when there’s good snow you can get runs of 1000m vertical all the way down to the valley. The Auffach slopes are reached by another gondola from Inneralpbach, which you get to either on snow or by bus.

There’s a separate tiny ski area at Reith, a little way down the valley from Alpbach, which is also covered by the lift pass and is easily reached by bus. It’s often very quiet, and the slopes are floodlit three times a week.

Some British families have been going to Alpbach for generations. The Alpbach Visitors Ski Club, founded over 40 years ago to develop junior racing for British children, is still going strong. It organises races for all age groups at peak holiday periods such as Christmas, and there’s a strong social side to the club too.

Alpbach is great for families with small children as the nursery slopes are right in the village, and there are also very good ski kindergartens. Babysitters can be arranged by the tourist office, and there are special family offers such as free lift passes for kids up to 15 in certain off-peak weeks.

But… Few steep pistes to interest experts; not many long, easy runs for beginners to progress to; main slopes only accessible by bus; lower slopes can suffer from poor snow, despite snowmaking. __________________________________________________________

Where is it? Haute Savoie, France Why go? Ancient village with a large ski area Resort 720mSlopes 700m to 2480mLifts 68Pistes 265kmSix-day lift pass €225

Samoëns village is a national heritage site which was a thriving centre for stonemasons in the 17th century, and much of their work is still in evidence. There’s a modern development on the outskirts of the village, but the nightlife is quiet. Two gondolas, both a bus ride away, give access to the Grand Massif ski area, which has over 250km of pistes and links into other resorts including Flaine and Morillon. The ski area is ideal for intermediates, with lots of blue and red runs. Experts can enjoy some steep blacks and off piste.

But… Access to the slopes is a long way from the village; not great for beginners. __________________________________________________________

Although sizeable, Ellmau remains a quiet resort. It has traditional chalet-style buildings, welcoming bars and shops and a pretty church. It’s part of the SkiWelt, the largest linked ski area in Austria – featuring seven resorts and covering almost 280km of pistes. Each resort has its own worthwhile area of runs to explore, most of which are suited to beginners and intermediates, but there’s also some off piste. The SkiWelt also boasts Austria’s biggest snowmaking system and is now linked to Kitzbühel’s 170km of slopes.

But… Low altitude can result in poor snow; slopes are often crowded at weekends and in high season. __________________________________________________________

Megève is a traditional winter holiday town with a beautiful, car-free, partly medieval centre. It has long attracted a chic and affluent crowd who enjoy shopping in the upmarket clothing, jewellery, antique, gift and food shops. Its 325km of pistes are spread over three separate mountains and suit intermediates best, with great cruising to be had when snow conditions are good. Sadly, low altitude means the snow can often suffer. However, most of the slopes are prettily wooded, making them good for visibility when it’s snowing, and the views of Mont Blanc are outstanding.

But… Lots of slow, old lifts; few challenging pistes. __________________________________________________________

Vaujany is a quiet, rapidly growing village, perched on a sunny hillside. It shares a large ski area with better-known Alpe d’Huez, as well as several other small resort bases. Originally a tiny rustic village, it has now expanded into a fair-sized resort with a giant cable car and gondola up to the slopes. Two escalators and an elevator link different levels of the village and there’s a huge sports centre. The gondola accesses Vaujany’s local slopes and a good beginner area, while the cable car goes up to the heart of the main ski area, which is great for intermediates and experts.

But… No pistes back to the village; many challenging runs are high and often closed in bad weather. __________________________________________________________

The combination of charming, car-free village, extensive, snowsure slopes linked to those of Cervinia in Italy, spectacular scenery and fabulous mountain restaurants makes Zermatt a special resort. The village is a mixture of ancient chalets and barns, grand 19th century hotels and modern buildings. The ski area spans four linked sectors, and the slopes suit intermediates and experts best, with lots of long red runs and itineraries. Wherever you are on the slopes, the Matterhorn mountain dominates the view. The linked slopes of Cervinia are gentler, ideal for cruising.

But… Lots of annoying electric vehicles buzz around the village; high prices for everything. __________________________________________________________

Stuben is a tiny, unspoilt village with an old church and a few hotels, bars and shops. Heavy snowfalls add to the charm. It makes a very quiet alternative base for accessing St Anton’s famous ungroomed powder. Lech-Zürs, also covered by the Arlberg lift pass, is a bus ride away and has much better intermediate terrain. For 2013/14 a link with Warth-Schröcken has increased Lech’s ski area by over 50 per cent. Stuben also has its own shady area accessed by ancient chairlift – this has some of the best off piste for experts in the Arlberg.

But… Too quiet for some people; chairlift to local slopes can be bitterly cold in early season. __________________________________________________________

Telluride is a remote, tastefully restored gold-mining boom town from the Wild West era, with old red brick and timber buildings. In 1985 a modern Mountain Village was built in the heart of the ski area. The two are linked by a gondola that operates until midnight. The ski area is renowned for its expert terrain, with steep slopes, mogul fields, glades and bowls. Intermediates will love the groomed blues, including the aptly named See Forever trail along a ridge with 360-degree views. There’s also ideal terrain for beginners, with lots of long, gentle green runs.

This quiet, civilised resort has a gondola up to the gentlest slopes in the Sella Ronda region. It has a couple of very smart hotels – the Rosa Alpina has lovely rooms, an excellent spa and three restaurants including the two-michelin starred St Hubertus. The Fanes is a chalet-style hotel with a pool and spa. You can also stay at the cool Las Vegas Lodge up the mountain. The local slopes are off the main Sella Ronda circuit but linked to it. It offers over 400km of largely intermediate slopes to explore, set in stunning Dolomite scenery.

But… Lifts and pistes are a walk or bus ride away; still a lot of draglifts and slow chairs in the local ski area. __________________________________________________________

Silver Star is a small, quiet, family-friendly resort based around a traffic-free square that resembles a 19th century mining town, with brightly painted buildings and wooden walkways. There’s also a natural ice rink on a lake and a tubing hill nearby. Nearly all the accommodation is either ski-in/ski-out or less than 30 seconds’ walk from the snow. The slopes suit all standards, with a mixture of intermediate cruising and single and double-black diamond tree runs. The ski school is highly regarded.

But… Village may be too small and après too quiet for some tastes; modest ski area by Alpine standards. __________________________________________________________

Champéry village is friendly, relaxed and charming, with traditional buildings lining the narrow main street. The dramatic and jagged ridge of the Dents du Midi towers above the village. The slopes are reached by cable car from the village or by fast chairlift from Grand Paradis, a short free bus ride away. In good snow conditions you can ski back to Grand Paradis, but there are no pistes down to the village. Once up to the slopes, you are in the vast Portes du Soleil ski area, which suits intermediates best.

But… Local lift system is antiquated; low altitude and sunny orientation mean snow can deteriorate quickly.

The 2014 edition of Where to Ski and Snowboard, Britain’s only annually updated ski resort guidebook, is in all good bookshops. It is available online to Telegraph readers at a special discount price of £14.99 including post and packing – £4 less than the bookshop price and £8 less than the usual mail order price. Go to www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/telegraph